Mr. Snuggles is a regular on NBC’s new Midnight Texas, because the talking cat is part of the community as envisioned by author Charlaine Harris, on whose books the series is based.
“He’s the Don Cheadle of the show – a scene stealer,” cast member Dylan Bruce said today during NBCUniversal Press Day.

Mr. Snuggles’ scenes are among the most difficult to shoot, because he’s a cat, and cats notoriously do not take direction well, EP David Janollari explained to Deadline. An orange tabby named Bob plays Mr. Snuggles. But Bob was not the first orange tabby cast in the role. The first actor to play Mr. Snuggles was named Snowball – or maybe Fluffy, Janollari said. Fluffy/Snowball was re-cast, and an orange tabby named Sushi landed the role. Tragically, Sushi died in the course of shooting the season, and Bob stepped in.

NBC has given a July 25 debut date for supernatural drama Midnight, Texas, based on the books of Harris, who also wrote the books that were the basis of HBO’s True Blood. The remote Texas town is safe haven for vampires, witches, psychics, hitmen, and a talking cat.